Helping people and animals in need are two services of volunteering that are usually done separately. However, the Albany Damien Center’s program, PAWS, is able to do both by raising funds to keep people with HIV or AIDS with their pets. On Sunday, February 21st, a fundraising event called “Bowling for PAWS” will take place at Playdium Bowling Center at 11 a.m.
The PAWS program, which stands for “Pets Are Wonderful Support,” was established in Albany in 2003. It is loosely based on the Chicago chapter and there are a couple of similar programs around the country. This program, according to local PAWS coordinator Diane Metz, is difficult to fund so events like this one are necessary.
“The program isn’t a typical AIDS and HIV program so we don’t have a regular grant funding source that way and it’s not a typical animal program because we’re not rescuing animals and spaying them,” said Metz. Read more…

Albany High School varsity boy’s basketball team won a hard-fought game against Shaker 72-60, Friday night, keeping them in the running for the semi-finals.

Isaiah Scurry, senior, shoots a 3-pointer/ Shannon Friel

Isaiah Scurry, one of Albany’s top players, hopes to receive an athletic scholarship for college, and is a top rebounder and three-point shooter. He hopes his team gets to the semi-finals at the Times Union Center. “I saw my brother play at the Times Union when Bishop Maginn was a powerhouse, and I thought to myself, man, I wish that was me.”

Neighborhood residents are turning on their lights and holiday decorations, creating a festive glow down Madison Avenue. The Pine Hills neighborhood is contributing its own light, celebrating its 14th annual tree lighting ceremony on Friday at 6:30 p.m. The tree stands in front of the steps of center station, at the intersection of Western and Madison Avenues. The New Albany Neighborhood Association is organizing the ceremony for the second year, after taking over for the Pine Hills Neighborhood Association in 2014.

The event began as a small way to create community interaction and involvement, and now attendance has increased steadily each year.

“More folks are looking forward to this event,” said Karen Phillips, a member of the New Albany Neighborhood Association and coordinator of the ceremony, “and it all comes together with many moveable parts.” Read more…

Nestled away in a Foursquare–style home might be the most inconspicuous bigwig in Albany. His work is recognized around the world and signifies a form of communication for 320 million users every month. The man who created the fluttering blue Twitter bird gets his coffee at Stewart’s each morning and graduated from The College of Saint Rose.

Shot inconsistency and a slew of missed spares dictated the Albany High Falcons opening week at the lanes, falling to Columbia High School and Colonie High School in their Suburban Council debut.

Albany High was dealt a bad hand in their opening week in the Suburban Council traveling to East Greenbush to bowl against the 2014-2015 Suburban Council champion, Columbia High Blue Devils and then coming back home to the Playdium Bowling Center to do battle with yearly powerhouse, the Colonie High Raiders.

The change in conferences has also brought a change in the scoring system. Read more…